Z's grip tightened around X's throat, his strength inhuman. Unstoppable.
X's vision blurred, black spots dancing at the edges. His lungs screamed for air.
Raven was down. Her knife lay forgotten on the floor.
Kessler had vanished—probably hiding like a coward.
And X?
He was losing.
No.
His fingers twitched. Not yet.
Z leaned in, his voice calm, calculated. "You were obsolete the moment I was created."
X gritted his teeth.
Something inside him refused to accept that.
Prototype or not, he was still here.
Still fighting.
His muscles burned. His mind screamed for him to give up.
But giving up was never an option.
X let his body go limp.
Z hesitated for half a second—just enough.
With the last of his strength, X thrust his knee upward, driving it into Z's ribs.
A solid impact.
It wouldn't have worked on a normal soldier.
But X wasn't normal.
His enhanced strength sent a crack through Z's armor.
Z staggered back.
X collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.
No time to recover. No time to think.
He rolled, grabbing Raven's fallen knife.
Z recovered fast. Too fast.
But X was ready this time.
Z lunged—but X moved first.
The knife flashed.
X drove the blade straight into Z's side.
Not a kill shot—but deep enough.
Z stumbled back, for the first time… vulnerable.
His visor flickered. His body jerked unnaturally.
A weak spot. Finally.
X didn't hesitate.
He grabbed Z's own momentum, twisted—and threw him straight into the side of an old subway car.
CRASH!
The impact dented the metal.
For the first time—Z was struggling to get up.
Raven, still clutching her injured wrist, pulled herself up.
She looked at X. "He's down. For now."
X wiped blood from his mouth. "Not for long."
Kessler stumbled out from the shadows, his face pale. "We have to go! Now!"
X took one last look at Z—who was already pushing himself up.
His armor was damaged. His body was slower.
But his eyes still held that cold, machine-like determination.
This fight wasn't over.
X turned to Raven. "We're getting out of here. Prague is waiting."
She gave a weak smirk. "Took you long enough."
They ran.
As they disappeared into the tunnels, X knew one thing for sure—
Next time, it wouldn't just be survival.
Next time, he would end this.